More needs to be done to protect sportswomen from the abuse of power from coaches and other key figures in their professional life, Judy Murray has said.
While the tennis coach, and mother of Wimbledon stars Andy and Jamie Murray, welcomed measures taken within the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) – which recently appointed a director of safeguarding in an increased effort to protect professional athletes from predatory coaches – she said further action is needed in the industry as a whole.
“I think it’s up to all of the individual governing bodies to have someone in that head of safeguarding role that, whether you’re a coach, a parent, a player or in sports science, when you see something or if something happens to you, you know that that’s the group you go to, that’s the person you speak to, it will be treated in confidence but there will be action taken from it,” Murray told PA Media.
“I think we’ve all seen a lot of brushing under the carpet over the years. And often you don’t know who to go to, and even if you do go to someone, you’re concerned: ‘Is it going to affect my selection for the team or my funding?’”
The former Scottish No 1 player and long-time coach, 63, was speaking while promoting her debut novel, The Wild Card.
The book centres on a fictional professional tennis player, who is manipulated by her coach during her earlier career as a 17-year-old into a sexual relationship, fearing that he will ditch her if she doesn’t comply.
“For me, having been round the women’s tour, it’s a very male-dominated domain in terms of the coaches and you realise that the young players in particular, they’re travelling all the time, they’re away from home, the coach becomes a crutch, not just a coach. You actually assume a parent role, a friend role,” Murray added.
“It’s very easy for players to become dependent on coaches, and fall into something that they don’t really understand and feel they can’t get out of.”
She said she welcomed the wider awareness created by athletes who have come forward about their own experiences, citing the case of multiple Olympic gold medal-winning US gymnast Simone Biles, one of many women sexually abused by former team doctor Larry Nassar (who was subsequently jailed for 40-plus years).
“Over the last few years, we’ve seen examples in several sports of players/performers telling about what’s happened to them in terms of abuse of trust and abuse of power, none more so than Simone Biles and other gymnasts with the US doctor, which went on for years,” said Murray.
“It [the US gymnasts’ case] encouraged more people to speak out, and highlights the need for ensuring that those in positions of power within sport are suitably qualified, vetted and insured, and also that somebody is accountable to somebody else.
“It makes such a big impact when top athletes like Simone Biles speak out about what’s happened to them,” Murray continued. “And it gives confidence to others to come out and talk and to share, and it is about raising awareness.
“But at the end of the day, you can raise awareness, but you need somebody to act on that. And that is starting to happen, but it’s probably still in its relative infancy.”
The Wild Card by Judy Murray is published by Orion, priced £14.99. Available now.
